


Waiting for Santa

by TFWBT



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Family, Fluff, Gen, SPN Holiday Mixtape, SPN Holiday Mixtape 2018, Season/Series 14, Team Free Will 2.0
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-25 22:20:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17129756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TFWBT/pseuds/TFWBT
Summary: After seeingthis lovely bit of fanart, I had to write a story. I don't normally do fluff, but I was inspiredSet in season 14. A huge thanks to Interstital for betaing and Space Matriarchy for catching a big error. All mistakes are my own.





	Waiting for Santa

**Author's Note:**

  * For [interstitial](https://archiveofourown.org/users/interstitial/gifts).



“We don’t have a chimney!”

Sam blinks, not understanding why that statement has propelled Jack into the storage room as if the bunker is under attack, skidding on his thick wool socks into the nearest shelf before he grabs it to steady himself.

“Sam, we don’t have a chimney!”

Jack says it as if it should mean something, but Sam’s never noticed the bunker doesn’t have a chimney. Chimneys were rather rare in his life growing up, a novelty rather than an expectation. He can’t think of any use for chimneys in spellwork. “And?”

“How’s Santa going to get in?”

Sam can’t help it. He tries to keep his expression neutral, but a laugh escapes him, which deepens the crease between Jack’s eyebrows, concern screwing up his face.

“Don’t worry, Jack. You’ll still get your presents. Santa’s… He’s- He’s magic.”

The worry lines in Jack’s forehead smooth out a bit. “He can use magic to get in?”

“All he needs is an entrance point and our exhaust pipes are large enough he could smoke in through those.”

“With the presents as well?”

“For sure.”

“Has he brought presents here before?”

Sam and Dean have almost never given each other presents and Castiel has always seemed oblivious to holidays. Christmas was usually chinese food, _Die Hard,_ and whatever netflix Christmas movies looked good while they drank spiked eggnog until they passed out. Last year they’d been so busy with trying to figure out how to save Jack and mom, Christmas had slipped by, unnoticed. The year before that had been spent in solitary, and the year before that was celebrated at a strip club, where Dean had bought a lapdance for Sam from a girl named Dakota, who wore an elf costume, and had spent most of the time chatting with Sam about her ambition to be free of the tiny, backwater town they'd stumbled upon on the way back from a vampire nest.

The girl Dean had selected for himself, Chastity, had worn white angel wings, a silver tinsel halo, and nothing else but a white thong that had _Happy Holidays_ in red glitter stamped across the back. She’d been all over Dean, laughing at his jokes with what seemed like actual genuine amusement, and had even invited him back to her place after her shift ended. Dean had been grinning and glowing so bright, Sam had expected him to take her up on her offer, but instead he'd gone back to the motel room with Sam where they watched movies and drank until they passed out. Dean had snored so loudly, Sam had ended up punching him until he woke up enough to shift into a new position where he wasn't rattling the windows. For them, that was a good Christmas.

At Sam's hesitation, Jack sees weakness. “So he's never been here.”

“He's always found us in the motel rooms and those definitely don't have chimneys. He'll find you whenever you are.” That was how Dean had explained it when Sam had his own doubts. _“Sammy, has Santa ever not shown up?”_ Only later had Sam realized that the gifts had been from dad, and Dean whenever dad forgot, which happened quite a bit. Sometimes Sam wondered if they'd all been from Dean.

“Sam,” Jack says in a voice Sam recognizes as his own when he's explaining things. “Motel rooms aren't warded as well as the bunker.”

Jack has a point. Dean had always been the better improviser and Sam finds himself checkmated, unable to reason his way out other than to offer a weak, “He's a pagan God and we haven't warded against _him._ ”

“I'm going to stay up,” Jack says. “That way if he gets locked outside, I can hear him knocking.”

“You gotta be sleeping, Jack. He won't show up if you're awake.”

Again with the patient Sam voice, Jack smugly says, “Castiel said Santa brought him gifts and _he_ doesn't sleep.”

_Shit._

 

* * *

 

Sam and Jack clear a corner of the library; creating a cozy little nook by the bookshelves while Castiel and Dean fetch gifts for Jack and their first real, proper tree.

As Sam organizes, Dean keeps texting.

 

 

 

 

By the time Sam and Jack clear enough space and buy the tree trimmings, Dean and Castiel return with the tree and a couch they've wrangled up, which they plop beside the tree, in front of the TV they fetched from the Deancave.

Jack insists on putting up lights and Dean grumbles and bitches the whole way through stringing them up in the library, while the other three wind them around the bars of banister. For all of Dean's cursing, when they finish and cut the overhead lights, the pure joy on Dean's face is so infectious, Sam can't help but grin himself.

Christmas Eve dinner is their traditional dinner, with so much Chinese food they won't need to leave the bunker on Christmas day. Dean pours the eggnog thick for Jack with a splash of whiskey. Castiel gets the reverse while Sam and Dean each have half and half.

The couch is too small for them all to fit, so Dean and Castiel take the ends while Sam and Jack sit on a rug on the floor between them, bowls of freshly stove top popped popcorn in each lap and blankets wrapped around them.

After _Die Hard,_ _Home Alone,_ and _Elf,_ Sam refuses to let Dean put on _Bad Santa,_ and Jack's still wide awake even though it's almost midnight.

“Will he be here soon?” Jack asks Sam when he returns from putting the empty popcorn bowls in the kitchen.

“Probably not until later.” Sam shoots a “What are we going to do?” look to Dean, who gives a helpless “I don't know” look in return. Maybe one of them will have to distract Jack into leaving the bunker entirely while the other plants the gifts under the tree.

Dean pours heavier whiskey into Jack's cup. Sam glares and Dean flashes him a look that says, “Got a better idea? No? Then zip it,” so plainly, Sam settles in his spot in front of the couch without another word because, try as he might, he doesn't have a better one.

“I'll keep watch for Santa,” Castiel promises, leaving the couch and grabbing a chair. He pulls it over close enough to sit by the others while still giving himself a good view of the map room and likely entry place for any Gods. At least, that's what they told Jack.

It seems to satisfy Jack, who lays down to rest, his head on Sam's blanketed lap, as Dean starts _Scrooged_. With the help of Dean's generous whiskey pours, he's out by the end of it and Castiel gently covers him with a blanket.

“You wanna get things ready?” Sam whispers to him and Castiel nods, hurrying out to the truck to get the presents and lay them under the tree.

One minute they are watching the stop motion _Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer_ , and then next Dean's shaking Sam awake.

“C'mon man, wake up I gotta take a leak.”

Confused to find himself waking up outside of his bedroom, it takes Sam a minute to realize he's trapped one of Dean's legs against the couch, the boot nearly under him. “Sorry.” He shifts to free Dean, trying not to wake Jack, who stirs a little, then hums contentedly before falling back asleep.

From how quickly Dean scurries off, he must've been holding it for some time. Sam rubs his eyes; his back sore from the awkward position he'd been sleeping in. With a yawn and a shake to wake himself, Sam stretches out as much as he can without waking Jack.

When Dean returns, Sam whispers, “We're getting too old for this.”

“Quit your bitching, princess. We could be digging graves.” Despite his snark, Dean's eyes catch on Sam's grays and a little satisfied smile crosses his lips before he catches himself. “More whiskey?”

“Might as well.” Sam looks for his mug, which he last remembered sitting on the floor by his side. Dean reaches over to pluck it off the table beside him and pours more eggnog than whiskey before handing it over.

“Wanna wake him?” Dean nods to Jack.

“Let's let him sleep a little more.”

 _Lethal Weapon_ is nearly over when Jack stirs awake. He blinks his eyes open, then shoots upright. “What time is it!?”

“Christmas,” says Castiel with a smile and Jack practically jumps over the couch on his way to the tree. Dean and Sam move around to lean against the back of the couch as Jack looks around with wide eyes.

“How’d he get in? Did you have to open the door after all?”

“Through the exhaust pipes,” lies Dean easily. “It was no trouble at all.”

For a moment, Jack exclaims over the packages turning them over in his hands. Then, a frown creases his brow and he sits back on his heels, his frown deepening.

“What's wrong?” Castiel asks, rising from his chair.

“They're all for me.” Jack glances at them, confused and worried. “Why didn't he bring anything for any of you?”

“I've been naughty,” Dean says with a lecherous grin crossing his face. “Especially with-”

“Dean,” Sam warns and Dean pulls a face that says, “You're no fun.”

“I didn't ask for anything,” Castiel said. “None of us did.”

“We can buy what we need,” Dean explains with effortless certainty. “Santa brings gifts for those who can't buy what they want. Once you get your own credit card, you won’t need to ask him for gifts.”

“And there's nothing at all you want that you can’t buy?”

Dean shrugs  “Nothing Santa can bring wrapped in a bow. He’s got limits to his magic. Maybe I’ll ask him to give Sam a haircut.”

Jack’s frown deepens. “I like Sam's hair.”

“It is very nice hair,” Castiel agrees and Sam shoots Dean a smug smile.

“I'm the only one with taste,” Dean grumbles. “C'mon, Jack show us what you got.”

Jack grabs the package closest to him, but instead of opening it, he crosses the room and hands it to Castiel, who takes it in surprise, confused. “Merry Christmas,” Jack says. He picks up another present and offers it to Sam.

“No. Jack.” Sam’s heart swells with so much warmth, it feels as though it will burst. “It’s your present. Keep it.”

“But I wanted to see what he brought all of you. I wanted you to have presents too. You deserve them. Take one of mine. I have a lot. I don’t need all of them.”

Jack’s face shines so earnest, Sam accepts the present with a smile.

Even Dean is uncharacteristically speechless as he accepts his own gift. He shoots Sam a “Can you believe this kid?” look and Sam responds with a smile that says, “I know.”

They open their presents. Sam receives a Lego Death Star kit, Castiel a box of candy bars, and Dean has the Millennium Falcon kit. Jack opens the rest of his presents, but none brighten his face as much as seeing his fathers open their gifts.  

When the last of the presents, a blue sweater, has been opened, Dean holds up his Lego kit and asks Jack, “Wanna help me put this kit together?”

“Sure!”

They open the box, spreading it out on the rug.

While Dean and Jack busy themselves putting it together, Sam and Castiel head to the kitchen to make coffee and get out the leftovers for breakfast.

“He's a good kid,” Sam says as he prepares the coffee: black for Castiel and Dean, creamer and sugar for him and Jack.

“You raised him,” says Castiel simply, as if that was enough for Jack to end up with a heart of gold. Sam doesn’t share Castiel’s certainty.

Sam returns with the coffee and as he sets Dean's down beside him, he says, “Merry Christmas.”

Dean glances up from the dizzying array of tiny pieces and looks at Sam with an eyebrow raised. “You too,” he says, quickly, as if afraid that by saying the words it won't be.

But it is. For now, at least. And that's enough.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Holidays! Thanks for reading.
> 
> Remefla drew more beautiful art of TFW 2.0 putting together the lego kit!! Please see it [here](https://twitter.com/Remefla_Draw/status/1077567170417065985).


End file.
